Lettuce, tomato, pickles, grilled peppers & onions, sauteed mushrooms, hot peppers--it's all good. When it's on top of a thick hunk of meat, with a slice of cheese. And bacon. Just none of that mayo-nasty!!

If you are a vegetarian, why would you want a burger that tastes like meat. And if you are a dead-animal eater, why would you want to eat plants that taste like meat? Why not just eat meat? I don’t get the use case for these.

Here are the nutrition specs for the Beyond Famous Star with Cheese and the Famous Star with Cheese, from the Carl's Jr website. Unless you're desperately trying to spare yourself of every extra mg of cholesterol, and don't care about your sodium intake, this makes no sense whatsoever. Granted, the cheese is a major component here, but there is clearly nothing magically nutritious about this burger. I guess maybe it is about getting away from having so many cows to raise.

If you are a vegetarian, why would you want a burger that tastes like meat. And if you are a dead-animal eater, why would you want to eat plants that taste like meat? Why not just eat meat? I don’t get the use case for these.

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I’ve thought the same thing. Why do vegetarians and vegans try their hardest to create something that tastes like meat?

I’ve thought the same thing. Why do vegetarians and vegans try their hardest to create something that tastes like meat?

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Because some are vegetarians for health, some are vegetarians of conscience and some are vegetarians of relationship. (They're married or dating a vegetarian.) They really want meat but really don't want to upset their SO. (I'm partially, but not entirely, tongue in cheek here.)

I’ve thought the same thing. Why do vegetarians and vegans try their hardest to create something that tastes like meat?

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My daughter is a vegetarian. There are few people, even vegetarians, who don't agree that burgers are delicious. So it's not the taste she's opposed to, it's that she's very much an animal lover and can't get herself to eat one.

I mean.. animals are awesome and they should be treated with respect, but in order to survive something else must die.. a recent study verified that plants also are aware of when they're in threat or being destroyed.. it's just that a piece of kale doesn't look up cutely at you with eyes but that's also a living thing...

I've often heard this, but are there any actual health benefits from removing real protein from your diet? All of my vegetarian and vegan friends always seem really sickly and pail

I mean.. animals are awesome and they should be treated with respect, but in order to survive something else must die...

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I've always heard that the more vegetarian a person is (with pure vegan, no animal-related products like milk or cheese at the extreme end), the more vitamins and supplements they need to take to stay healthy. Wonder what the carbon footprint is for making all of those supplements?

If you are a vegetarian, why would you want a burger that tastes like meat. And if you are a dead-animal eater, why would you want to eat plants that taste like meat? Why not just eat meat? I don’t get the use case for these.

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I think a lot of people are vegetarian or vegan for health or ethical reasons, not because they don't like the taste of meat. On the other hand, I'm not a vegetarian, but, to me, the thing that makes meat or ersatz meat taste good are the seasonings, not the item itself.

are there any actual health benefits from removing real protein from your diet? All of my vegetarian and vegan friends always seem really sickly and pail

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Same here. I know a doctor and his mother who went completely vegan and they both look easily 15 years older than they should.

For me, it really depends on what you’re eating to substitute the meat. Most all of the meat substitutes are soy and gluten based and nearly all soy in the United States (unless specifically labeled ‘organic’) is GMO. Things like soy protein isolates are terrible for your gut and digestive health, but it’s always found in these products. If you buy good quality, organically raised meats, I don’t see how the heavily processed, meat substitutes can be better for you. Each to their own.

I mean.. animals are awesome and they should be treated with respect, but in order to survive something else must die.. a recent study verified that plants also are aware of when they're in threat or being destroyed.. it's just that a piece of kale doesn't look up cutely at you with eyes but that's also a living thing...

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The only kind of vegetarian I respect is someone who is vegetarian not because they love animals, but because they really hate plants.

Here are the nutrition specs for the Beyond Famous Star with Cheese and the Famous Star with Cheese, from the Carl's Jr website. Unless you're desperately trying to spare yourself of every extra mg of cholesterol, and don't care about your sodium intake, this makes no sense whatsoever. Granted, the cheese is a major component here, but there is clearly nothing magically nutritious about this burger. I guess maybe it is about getting away from having so many cows to raise.

If a person truly wants to limit their cholesterol intake, it looks like they would need to hold the cheese on the BFS. I would imagine that is the only animal-based product on that burger. But I don't know that for sure.

I know some healthy vegetarians. They generally don't eat meat substitutes. But there are a variety of ways to get protein from plants, perhaps the most common is rice and legumes (i.e. beans) in combination are a complete protein.

If a person truly wants to limit their cholesterol intake, it looks like they would need to hold the cheese on the BFS. I would imagine that is the only animal-based product on that burger. But I don't know that for sure.

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Probably egg in the mayo or other sauce, and egg and dairy products in the bun.

I care. And I imagine a few million other people do, as well. There are a lot of nutritionists who care very much about cholesterol. And physicians, too. If your cholesterol is over 200, are you going to die of a stroke or heart attack soon? Probably not. But it is not near as simple as saying cholesterol intake is irrelevant. Generally speaking, I think less is better than more.

Obviously, there is a whole lot more to healthy eating than cholesterol intake. That's only one component of many. But it is not irrelevant in my opinion. I eat red meat. I just try to eat it in moderation.

That's a hard deal breaker for me. I always order a steak or burger on a first date as a litmus test

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Had a blind date once. I show up in a leather jacket, leather shoes, leather belt and nothing else. (OK, I was wearing normal clothes too). She's wearing nothing but plant based clothing. She orders salad, I order...half a chicken. Before the food even arrives, the conversation steers to our food choices, she's says she's vegetarian, and I immediately ask "So, are you doing it for your health, or are you one of those animal rights wackos?" Yeah, I used the term wacko. Her response was that she belongs to PETA. I didn't bother to hold back on my opinions after that. And I made sure to devour that chicken without remorse.